The version of the fake grand complication sold as reference 720.025 worth your money is the one running a real mechanical movement with working calendar and chronograph subdials, not a quartz case with printed dial furniture. That call rests on four checks: whether the complications function, what movement sits inside and whether anyone will service it, how the case and dial hold up at arm's length, and what you take on legally and practically by owning one. Listings using the 720.025 number tend to advertise a multi-complication layout, so the distance between a good example and a bad one is wider than in almost any other corner of the replica market.

What 720.025 actually describes in replica listings

The number circulates as shorthand for a grand complication layout, meaning a dial carrying several functions at once: commonly a chronograph, a calendar display and a moonphase, with a tourbillon or minute repeater claimed on the more expensive examples. Real watches in this class are hand finished, built in tiny numbers and priced like property. A replica cannot reproduce that. What it can reproduce is the silhouette, the dial furniture and the wrist presence, and that is the honest ceiling of the purchase.

Because sellers use the reference loosely, two watches advertised under the same number can be built from entirely different parts. Treat 720.025 as a search term, not a specification sheet, and ask for photos of the actual unit before paying.

Check one: do the complications work

This is the dividing line. A functioning example drives every subdial from the movement, so the chronograph starts, stops and resets, the date advances over 24 hours, and the moonphase disc turns on a proper cycle.

Strong signs

• Chronograph pushers engage with a firm click and the sweep hand resets to zero
• Day, date and month windows change at the right hour, not at random
• Moonphase disc rotates through a full cycle rather than sitting fixed
• Subdial hands are fitted with pins or screws, not glued flat

Warning signs

• Pushers that depress with no resistance or do nothing at all
• Subdials printed onto the dial surface with no depth
• A moonphase that never moves, or a 24-hour disc pretending to be one
• Seller who will not send a video of the watch running

Use case: if you want the look of a complicated dial and nothing else, a decorative layout is cheaper and lighter. If you intend to actually use the functions, only a working movement is worth discussing.

Check two: the movement and whether it can be serviced

A multi-complication replica stacks several modules on top of a base movement. That stacking is where reliability usually fails, and it is also where service becomes difficult, because most independent watchmakers will not touch a counterfeit movement and parts are not stocked.

Strong signs

• A mechanical movement, hand wound or automatic, that holds a reasonable power reserve
• Seller states the base calibre and the module used
• Caseback screws and gaskets that seat properly

Warning signs

• Quartz movement hidden behind a dial full of fake complications
• No service history and no parts availability anywhere
• Stiff winding, grinding rotor or a crown that feels loose from day one

Use case: buy a working mechanical example only if you accept that a breakdown may mean the end of the watch. If you want something repairable, this category is the wrong place to look.

Check three: case, dial and finishing at arm's length

Most replica grand complications photograph better than they wear. Judge them from a metre away, then from arm's length, then under a loupe, in that order.

Strong signs

• Applied indices with clean edges and even polish
• Case flanks with a consistent brush and no soft rounding at the lugs
• Hands of the same length and finish across all subdials
• Crystal with anti-reflective coating that does not wash out the dial

Warning signs

• Printing that sits unevenly or floats above the dial surface
• Subdial spacing that crowds the text or clips the indices
• Case thickness driven by a stacked movement, making it sit high on the wrist

Use case: this is the check that decides whether the watch reads as a serious object on the wrist or as a novelty. Sight-unseen purchases fail here most often.

Check four: legal and practical reality in the United States

This is not a grey area in law. Counterfeit watches infringe trademarks, and US Customs and Border Protection can seize and forfeit shipments of goods bearing counterfeit marks. Importing one is a risk to your money and to the item itself, and ownership problems do not end at delivery.

What you gain

• The look of a complicated layout for a fraction of the real cost
• Freedom to wear something expensive-looking in situations where you would not risk the real thing

What you give up

• No manufacturer service, warranty or parts support, ever
• No resale market and no authentication
• Seizure risk on inbound shipments and no legal recourse if the parcel disappears
• Water resistance claims that should be treated as decoration

Use case: understand the trade before you buy. The value here is cosmetic and short term, not financial.

Who should consider a 720.025 replica and who should not

It suits a buyer who wants the visual language of a grand complication, accepts that the watch is a disposable object, and can inspect the actual unit before money changes hands. It does not suit anyone expecting longevity, serviceability, water resistance or resale value, and it is a poor choice for anyone uncomfortable with the legal position in the US. If the complications must work and the movement must last, the money is better spent on a well-made watch from an independent brand with real after-sales support.